Vertical sleeve sealer

An apparatus for packaging a group of articles in a container formed from a carton blank, the apparatus comprising:

• apparatus for associating a group of articles with a partially erected carton blank;
• a vertical channel having first and second ends disposed along a substantially vertical longitudinal axis, the first end comprising an entrance to said channel and the second end comprising an exit from said channel, said entrance being configured to receive said partially erected carton blank associated with a group of articles, the carton blank having a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a plurality of unbent major flaps extending from the bottom panel, and a plurality of unbent minor flaps extending from each of the first side panel and the second side panel, wherein the first side panel and the second side panel connect the bottom panel with the top panel such that the top panel is substantially parallel with the bottom panel and is spaced from the bottom panel, and such that the first side panel is substantially parallel with the second side panel and is spaced from the second side panel;
• and
• a deflector assembly maintaining said side panels in their position relative the bottom and top panels throughout a portion of the channel corresponding to said deflector assembly and provided along the channel, the deflector assembly operative to bend said major flaps and said minor flaps as the associated carton blank and group are moved in a single direction through said channel such that said carton blank is substantially fully assembled around said group before said associated carton blank and group exit the channel, whereby the direction is perpendicular to a plane defined by the bottom panel.

A system for packaging a group of articles into a container formed from a carton blank, the system comprising:

• an article grouping apparatus operative to receive articles and to arrange the articles into a predetermined group;
• an associating apparatus operative to associate a partially erected carton blank with the group of articles, the carton blank having a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a plurality of unbent major flaps extending from the bottom panel, and a plurality of unbent minor flaps extending from each of the first side panel and the second side panel, wherein the first side panel and the second side panel connect the bottom panel with the top panel such that the top panel is substantially parallel with the bottom panel and is spaced from the bottom panel, and such that the first side panel is substantially parallel with the second side panel and is spaced from the second side panel;
• and
• a vertical sleeve sealer apparatus comprising a vertical channel and at least one deflector assembly associated with the channel, the channel having first and second ends disposed along a substantially vertical longitudinal axis, the first end comprising an entrance to said channel and the second end comprising an exit from said channel, said entrance being configured to receive the associated carton blank and group from the associating apparatus, said deflector assembly maintaining said side panels in their position relative the bottom and top panels throughout a portion of the channel corresponding to said deflector assembly and operative to bend said major flaps and said minor flaps as the associated carton blank and group are moved in a single direction through said channel such that said carton blank is substantially fully assembled around said group before said associated carton blank and group exit the channel, whereby the direction is perpendicular to a plane defined by the bottom panel.

A method of packaging a group of articles into a container formed from a carton blank, the method comprising:

• associating a partially erected carton blank with a group of articles, said carton blank having a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a plurality of unbent major flaps extending from the bottom panel, and a plurality of unbent minor flaps extending from each of the first side panel and the second side panel, wherein the first side panel and the second side panel connect the bottom panel with the top panel such that the top panel is substantially parallel with the bottom panel and is spaced from the bottom panel, and such that the first side panel is substantially parallel with the second side panel and is spaced from the second side panel;
• providing a vertically oriented channel having at least one deflector assembly;
• and
• moving said associated carton blank and group vertically through said channel perpendicularly to a plane defined by the bottom panel such that said carton blank is substantially fully assembled and said major flaps and said minor flaps are folded closely with respect to said group while maintaining of said side panels in their position relative the bottom and top panels throughout a portion of the channel corresponding to said deflector assembly before said associated carton blank and group exit the channel.